YEAR 11 pupils at Bradford’s Laisterdyke Leadership Academy were left feeling inspired after a one-day visit from Paralympic cyclist Craig McCann.

The current four time national champion paracyclist spent Monday at the academy, in Thornbury Road, as part of the Sky Sports Living For Sport programme.

The visit saw Craig work with BTEC Sport pupils on a variety of practical activities and classroom-based learning aiming at improving life skills to help them excel in their sporting careers.

The visit was organised by the academy’s director of PE and performing arts Lee Allington.

“Our BTEC Sport pupils are developing a project to run a festival of football with our Year 7s," he explained.

"By registering that project with Sky Sports’ Living For Sport Programme, our school gains the support of an athlete mentor, in our case Craig McCann.

“The pupils got so much out of the day and were really motivated in the classroom tasks as well as the more practical challenges. Craig was the perfect person for them to share their aspirations with. His words and the activities certainly helped them to feel more confident about achieving them.”

Mr McCann set the pupils a number of challenges that addressed their problem-solving abilities while improving communication and people skills, and aimed to inspire the pupils onto a path of planning for future success.

Pupils with mobility difficulties from other year groups across the academy also took part, and enjoyed hearing the athlete's inspirational story.

Throughout the day Craig McCann inspired the 15 and 16 year old pupils with his attitude to overcoming adversity – his motto ‘Make every obstacle an opportunity’ was at the heart of the day’s activities.

Mr McCann said: “I shared with the group the lessons I have learned on my own journey and aimed to develop skills that will help them in their everyday lives. The pupils all absolutely threw themselves into the activities and practical challenges I set them. They brought with them the right attitudes to push themselves and gave nothing less than 100 per cent all day.

“I’m certain the pupils got a great deal out of the visit and am hopeful that they will go on to use the skills we practised for the rest of their lives.”

The 31-year-old athlete is a former wheelchair fencer and the current four time national champion paracyclist. A brain tumour, diagnosed in 2004 during a routine medical upon joining the RAF and which left Craig disabled, changed the course of his life. Craig is an Ambassador for ParalympicsGB and works as a mentor for a number of sports trusts.

Laisterdyke Leadership Academy joined Tauheedul Education Trust, one of the UK’s leading multi-academy trusts, in April 2016. The Trust pledges that all its pupils will hear from 100 inspiring speakers, such as Craig McCann, during their time at a Tauheedul secondary school as part of its leadership curriculum activities.